SICK POLICY

Management of Communicable Diseases

I understand how important it is to have care for your child and to not interfere with your work schedules, but it's also important not to spread illness to our peers and to keep childcare available for everyone who is healthy and able to attend. I will do my best to make proper judgement calls on illness and will make sure it is not something minor that I can observe and care for myself.

I have the right to send home any child with a suspected illness and to request a doctor's note before the child may return to the facility around their peers.

If your child requires medication to be given, you must sign a medication permission form. The medication must be in the original bottle with their name and dose labeled clearly.This includes medication prescribed by their doctor. Please also send an appropriate syringe/form of administration. In emergency situations where non-prescription medication needs to be administered, I will require verbal permission before administering and a written permission form signed at pick up. All medications must be handed to me directly so that I can place everything inside a locked box/cabinet.

Click here for Medication Permission Form

Click here for Maine CDC Notifiable Conditions

FEVERS OF 100° OR HIGHER

Children will have their temperatures taken across their foreheads with a digital thermometer. If your child develops a fever while in my care, I will observe their behavior and decide if they need to go home. Teething and immunizations may increase body temperature, but it is better to be safe and prevent the spread of illness. Your child may not return until they have been fever free without the use of fever reducers for at least 24 hours.

VOMITING

A child who vomits at the facility needs to be picked up immediately and can return when they have not vomited for at least 24 hours. Spit up, or smaller amounts of fluid that is normal for infants is nothing to be concerned about.

DIARRHEA

A child must not have had loose stools of higher volumes of runny bowel movements compared to their normal pattern for at least 24 hours before returning

RASHES

A child who develops a rash while in my care will be monitored, with photos and notification to parents. If it doesn't seem like an emergency this notification will be made at the end of the day at pick up. A rash that is spreading will require pick up and a doctor's visit before they may return.

ANY WEEPING SORES THAT CANNOT BE COVERED WITH A BANDAGE ESPECIALLY OF UNKNOWN CAUSE.

Any sore that is weeping and is not able to be covered completely and easily is considered a health safety risk and a child cannot attend until the sore is able to be identified and covered properly

HAND, FOOT & MOUTH

This is a very common, yet very contagious virus/illness and to prevent the facility from closing to stop the spread of outbreak, it is important that any blisters or raised bumps that appear in or around the mouth, palms, fingers, soles of the feet, or groin to be taken very seriously until confirmed not to be something spreadable. Symptoms can last up to 7-10 days so it's important to make sure you keep your child at home until the blisters have healed and they are fever free for at least 24 hours.

CONJUNCTIVITIS

Children do not always have bacterial conjunctivitis, but if your child has a bright pink eye or yellow discharge, please have them seen by their doctor to confirm they aren't contagious and they are given proper treatment. They must be on antibiotics in the event of bacterial conjunctivitis for at least 24 hours before returning and they must not have current discharge, gooeyness, or have running fluid from their eye.

THICK NASAL DISCHARGE

Common colds can make discharge thick and colored, but it is important that if your child is not able to breath easily and comfortably and their cold is producing very frequent discharge that may cause their peers to become ill, please keep your child home until they appear to be on the mend.

Teething may also cause frequent nasal discharge as well mood changes, so I will monitor any child if they are already in my care and will only make the decision to send a child home, if they are noticeably uncomfortable and are requiring more time and attention than I am able to give or there is nothing that seems to comfort them.

PERSISTENT/HOARSE COUGHING

Please have your child seen by their pediatrician if they seem to be coughing more than normal for a common cold. It is very difficult for multiple infants to get the proper rest they need, if there is a child who is consistently coughing. They may also need assistance; nebulizer, humidifiers, etc. If your child has simple mild cold symptoms they may attend, but please make your best judgement.

STREP THROAT

Child must have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours as well as be fever free before returning

LICE/NITS

If lice or nits are found in your child's scalp, please make sure your child is nit free before returning. If your child has siblings who have had lice, or have been in a classroom with exposure, please inform me and I will do daily checks to make sure we aren't spreading them. This will allow me to also make sure to launder linens more frequently during these times of concern.

CHICKEN POX AND COXSACKIE'S VIRUS

Child may return when all blisters are scabbed, and they are fever free for at least 24 hours.

If I am ill, I would ideally provide notice the night before, but if an emergency occurs, I will notify your family by 5 am the morning of care. For occasional sick days, there will not be a reduced tuition amount, however if I am ill for an extended period (beyond a week) we will discuss a fair agreement. Thankfully, I am generally very healthy, and I have had my fair exposure to childhood germs for years without utilizing many sick days, so I don't foresee this being an issue. Any closures for COVID will follow the current CDC recommendations.

In the event your child is ill, or has any of the symptoms/illness above, please notify me your child will not be attending for the day and the reason.

Sick Policy: Programs